Peaceful Bay

byAaron SchubertonDecember 25, 2009

A stunning beach

Peaceful Bay is a small, hidden town a few hundred kilometres south of Perth. It has some great fishing, and is not very well known about. The more I explore this great country the more places pop up which are absolutely stunning. I highly recommend travelling around Western Australia if you can at some stage, as there is so much to see, and Peaceful Bay is proof of this. The last time I went to Peaceful Bay was several years ago now, but was highly enjoyable then, and it has only gotten better! We only stayed there for a few days, but there is enough to do to keep you entertained for longer

Some of the coast near Peaceful Bay

Where is Peaceful Bay?

Peaceful Bay is just over 450km by car from Perth. There are a few different ways that you can drive there, and those that live in the country always seem to know the quickest way to get there. With the new highway extension from south of Perth to Bunbury, going down along the coast seems the most logical way. It also means that you travel through some nice towns, which are worth a stop at. From Bunbury, you need to get onto the South Western Hwy, and then onto the South Coast Hwy. Peaceful Bay has a number of nice towns surrounding it, if you ever want to do a bit of exploring.

3 salmon we caught off the beach

Peaceful Bay Fishing

Like anywhere in Australia, you can catch good fish if you pick the right time and match it with a good location. Peaceful Bay has some great fishing, and this is proved by the commercial salmon fishermen who stay on the beach for several months of the year. If you are down there when the salmon are running, it’s a lot of fun. They are everywhere, and once in a frenzy will bite on anything and everything. The beaches provide a fair bit of access to different places, so don’t be afraid to look around for the best place to fish! If you miss the salmon at Peaceful Bay, you can always drive further north and stay at Dunsborough.

Raining at Peaceful Bay

What else is around Peaceful Bay?

Peaceful bay is close to quite a few nice locations to visit, including the treetop walk, Tingledale, Walpole and lots of other scenic area’s to explore. The beach is long enough and accessible enough that you can drive down as far as you want, and find something that suits your need. Peaceful bay has a huge inlet which is quite nice to take a look at as well. There are plenty of places to use your boat too, so take that down if can!

Pelicans relaxing at Peaceful Bay

Where can I stay in Peaceful Bay?

As mentioned above, when we visited Peaceful Bay it was several years ago now, and accommodation was fairly limited. We stayed in the Peaceful Bay Caravan Park, which was 3 star back then. The showers were a bit dirty, but it did what we needed and was cheap too. We also took our dog down, as the caravan park allowed dogs as long as they were tied up. Accommodation today has expanded a little, but as for what is available right now I am not sure. I would recommend the Caravan Park however, as long as you are not looking for luxury accommodation. They also have a sink to clean your fish and fireplaces where you can cook your food too. There are a few cabins and decked out caravans that you can rent as well, if you need to. There are plenty of camp sites, lots of grass and they are friendly owners.

Weather you don't want

The Treetop Walk

The Treetop Walk is located east of Walpole, and is only a 15 minute drive from Peaceful Bay. This is something that I would highly recommend, as it gives you a good idea of the south west bush land in Australia, and is quite unique. It is basically a walkway which is mounted up high on huge steel poles. Some parts go up to 38 meters high, and you can walk around, close to many of the trees and get some great pictures. Unfortunately the last time we did this was before I had a camera, so I don’t have any shots of it.

Rock hard beach in some areas

Driving on the beach at Peaceful bay

You are allowed to drive on the beach at Peaceful Bay, and many two wheel drive vehicles go onto the harder sand just out of the entrance track. In fact, I have not come across a beach that is as flat and hard as the beach in Peaceful Bay. In saying this, the sand changes from day to day and it gets extremely soft if you head further away from where most people drive. If you drive north east and around the bay you will come across the little inlet or lake that flows into the ocean at times. Depending on the time of year and the tides, it may be flowing through, which makes it very difficult to cross. Be aware of what the tide is doing if you cross it, because there are days where it may come in when you are on the wrong side!

I wouldn’t advise driving through it if the sand is wet, and especially if it is flowing, as the sand sinks very quickly. Many people lose their cars to beach recoveries, and I would rather not be a statistic! In saying this, most of the time the sand is dry and clear, and you can comfortably drive back and forth as you need to. We found the better fishing locations were further away from town, but not necessarily the ones where you needed a 4x4!

Peaceful Bay Inlet

Shops at Peaceful Bay

When were at Peaceful Bay there was only one basic store, which provided what you needed. It’s a good idea to buy most of your food and take it in, as the food is usually quite expensive (compared to food in Perth!). In saying this, they were handy for snacks and the newspaper every day. I am sure today there are more shops to service the ever growing population of locals and tourists.

I apologize that this post is a bit out of date, having not been down to Peaceful Bay for a little while. However, I gather that you would rather know about another great place to visit in Western Australia than for me to leave it out! I will update this next time I head down that way.